Lowell repeats in Div. 3 North
Net win over Cambridge, face Hanover Wednesday
STONEHAM — The reigning champs would not relinquish their throne Sunday night at Stoneham Arena, as ninth-ranked Lowell battled their way to a 3-1 victory over second-seeded Cambridge to win the Div. 3 North title for a second straight season, and for the third time in the last four years.
Lowell (13-7-4) opened the scoring just 2:36 into the contest, when junior Shawn Spring found a loose puck to the left of the crease and was able to squeeze short side between the goaltender and post, making it 1-0.
“You don’t want to be chasing these games,” said Lowell head coach Brian Akashian. “It’s big to get that first goal and be in a position where we can kind of dictate the pace.”
Early in the second, Cambridge freshman Paul Magalhaes collected a puck at the Lowell blue line, broke toward the left dot and lifted a wrist shot short side over the blocker to even the score just 49 seconds into the period.
The Red Raiders reclaimed the lead with 7:58 to go in the middle frame, as senior Cameron Trull cut from the left dot to the low slot before firing off a point blank wrist shot against the grain and through a screen that beat Falcons goalie Lukas Foley-Fiore (28 saves) to his blocker side, making it 2-1.
“That kid works so hard, to come up and score a big goal like that,” said Akashian. “Toe-drag, shot through a screen. … All he cares about is winning, it doesn’t matter who scores, he would do anything for his teammates.”
The Falcons (15-3-4) ramped up the pressure in the third, but were denied at every turn by Lowell junior goaltender Jake Vieira, who made 10 third period saves and 33 total on the night.
In Lowell’s run to another North championship, Vieira has posted a microscopic 0.25 goals against average.
“We’ve played four games, he’s given up one goal,” Akashian said. “He’s always square to the puck and nothing rattles him. He does a really good job of tracking the puck and getting his rebounds. They were all over us that third period, we did a good job of grinding it out and Jake came up with big saves when he had to.”
Lowell senior Brendan DeMarco iced the game with an empty-net goal with 46 seconds remaining to round out the scoring.
The Red Raiders look to take the next step now and achieve something they have not been able to in their last few appearances in the state bracket — take home a state title.
They will have to get through south champions Hanover first, who they will take on at Stoneham Arena on Wednesday.
“It’s great to win the sectional, but we want to be playing for a state championship. We’ve never taken that next step. … I know Hanover is going to be a fantastic team. It’s going to be a real tough game for us.”